Of late, considerable interest has arisen in the claimed therapeutic effects of negative ions, particularly for improving athletic performance and increased blood circulation in a person. Recently published reports indicate that there well may be some merit to these claims.
Negative ions are odorless, tasteless, and invisible molecules that are inhaled or absorbed by a person in certain environments. Examples of environments rich in negative ions are areas containing waterfalls, crashing waves on beaches, or clean mountain air. Once negative ions reach a persons bloodstream, they are believed to produce biochemical reactions that increase levels of the mood enhancing chemical serotonin, helping to alleviate depression, relieve stress, and improve a persons sense of well being and happiness. The understanding that human beings are bioelectric in nature, and electrically charged particles affect the way a person feels and acts supports this.
Several thousand scientific documents based on research in Israel, Europe, and in Asia support the concept that high doses of negative ions emit positive physical, physiological and/or emotional effects on a person, while the opposite is true when a person is exposed to high amounts of positive ions. Recent research has shown that negative ions may also protect against germs in the air, resulting in decreased irritation due to inhaling various particles that make a person sneeze, cough, or have a throat irritation.
While a number of consumer wearable products offered as an emitting source of negative ions have appeared on the market within recent years, none have been effective in positioning an ideal amount of negative ion emission near neurotransmitters in the wearer's brain.